by Daïlong HUYNH
& Valentin BLANC
ДАВАЙ
davaicalisthenics.com
CALISTHENICS
1
ДАВАЙ
SUMMARY
CALISTHENICS
Vocabulary
PART 1
Presentation
Techniques, gestures and feelings
Mindset
Training methods and principles
Basic safety rules
How to train
Training frequency
Rest and repetitions
Injuries
Key points that you must remember
PART 2
Training program
The different levels
Presentation and adaptation of exercises
Exercises description and tips
Training program by levels
PART 3
Variants
Pronated maltese
Supinated maltese
Maltese on floor
Maltese on fingers
Maltese on vertical bars
Dragon maltese
Inverted grip maltese on bars
Reverse hand maltese
Maltese on fists
Maltese on rings
Maltese on 2 fingers
Maltese press
Common Problems
Hyperlaxity
The "dead wide"
Asymmetrical shoulders
Wrist pain
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ДАВАЙ
VOCABULARY
CALISTHENICS
VOCABULARY
Protraction : Horizontal translational movement of
the shoulder blades to the sides (shoulders forward).
Retraction : Horizontal translational movement of
the shoulder blades towards the center of the back
(shoulders backwards).
Pronation : Internal rotation of the hand and
fo-rearm (thumbs pointing inward).
Supination : External rotation of the hand and
forearm (thumbs pointing to the sides).
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ДАВАЙ
VOCABULARY
CALISTHENICS
Tuck : Legs bunched together, knees close to the chest.
Advanced Tuck : legs grouped together, thighs perpendicular to the ground.
Straddle : Legs stretched out, spread and aligned
with the upper body.
Full : Legs tight, stretched.
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ДАВАЙ
VOCABULARY
CALISTHENICS
False grip : Put your wrist on
the bar/ring to hold with more
force and reduce the lever arm.
Grip on parallel bars (planche/wide/maltese) : You have to grip the bar along the axis shown below. The
contact must be evenly distributed between the front and back of the hand. Always keep the wrist as much as
possible aligned with the axis of the arm.
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ДАВАЙ
VOCABULARY
CALISTHENICS
Pike : Upper body and legs not
aligned, the pelvis is more or
less too high.
Banana : Upper body and legs
not aligned, the pelvis is more
or less too low.
Slash : Feet too high.
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ДАВАЙ
VOCABULARY
CALISTHENICS
Internal rotation
External rotation
Anterior chain : The anterior chain of the arm mainly constitutes : the anterior deltoid, the biceps, the fingers flexors.
Posterior chain : The posterior chain of the arm
is mainly composed of: the posterior deltoid, the
triceps, the fingers extensors.
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ДАВАЙ
VOCABULARY
CALISTHENICS
Thoracic depression : Closure of the thoracic cage of- Thoracic opening : Opening of the thoracic cage often
ten followed by a slight flexion of the bust and scapular followed by a slight extension of the bust and scapular
protraction.
retraction.
Height: In planche the height corresponds to the vertical distance between shoulders and hands.
Crushing: In planche the crushing corresponds to the decrease of the height by a reduction of the angle arm/
back. Often caused by a lack of strength in the shoulders.
Lever arm : Distance between the point of support and the point to which force or resistance is applied.
Center of gravity : In planche it’s generally located at the pelvis. It varies according to the distribution of weight
between the upper and lower body.
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ДАВАЙ
VOCABULARY
CALISTHENICS
Anterior deltoids : Shoulder muscle allowing the arms to be pushed forward (raising the arms forward).
Biceps : Arm muscle allowing flexing of the arm.
Pectorals/chest : Muscles of the thorax allowing the arms to move forward.
Anterior serratus: Muscle of the thorax allowing the protraction of the shoulder blades.
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ДАВАЙ
VOCABULARY
CALISTHENICS
Wide : Planche with wide grip ; from the moment when the distance between the hands exceeds the width of
the shoulders, to the distance preceding maltese position.
Japanese handstand : Handstand (straight arms, vertical and straight body, retroversion of the pelvis, legs
stretched and aligned with the upper body), with a width equivalent to the maltese position.
Deadplanche : Crushed planche where the shoulders lean forward excessively and reach the hands level. The
hold is mainly done by the wrists strength.
Intensity : Ratio between the amount of work and time.
Specific strengthening : Work with the main goal of strength training, building muscle, increasing endurance and strengthening the joints. Generally composed by isolated exercises performed in long sets (8-20
repetitions) and with little rest (1-3 minutes).
Strength and technique work : Work with the main goal of gaining strength and improving technique. Generally composed by body weight exercises/figures performed in short sets (1-8 repetitions) and with a lot of
rest (4-8 minutes).
Combinations/combo : Consecutive sequence of several movements/elements/exercises without leaving the
bar.
Slow : Slow, controlled.
Negative : From the final position, gently control the movement to the initial position.
Press : Push with straight arms to the inverted vertical position.
Superset : Link 2, 3 exercises without resting.
Hold : Hold an isometric position (without moving).
Reps : Repetitions.
Max r : Do as many repetitions as possible.
Max s : Hold as long as possible.
Sets : Unit of work of a sequence of repetitions without rest.
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 1 PRESENTATION
PRESENTATION
Maltese is an emblematic and very advanced calisthenics element of. Although very different,
it is a variant of the full planche.
It’s a strength element that mainly involves the strength of the anterior deltoids, biceps,
pectoral insertions that link deltoids and pectorals, and also the wrists.
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 1 PRESENTATION
TECHNIQUES, GESTURES AND FEELINGS
To begin, it is important to define together the right body positioning in maltese :
The line
Maltese is a static element where the body must be kept horizontal.
The legs must also be straight and aligned with the upper body.
The pelvis must be placed in retroversion (buttocks and abdominals contracted).
You have to hold through the extension of your body, you find your trajectory with your head
and extend yourself forward, while you extend your legs in the opposite direction, you have to
try to keep this extension by going backwards with your toes, which will straighten your legs
and avoid any deformity.
The retroversion (posterior pelvic tilt), once the extension is well mastered, completely links
the upper body with the legs.
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 1 PRESENTATION
The muscular engagement :
The arms must be fully extended, with the elbows locked in front. The biceps and forearms must be
contracted to provide a solid support.
The arms must be positioned in external rotation: the anterior deltoids presented forward, facing the
ground. They are the ones that will allow you to hold your body.
You must have your scapulas protracted (scapular protraction): they must move away from each other
and from the center of your back. This is made possible by the contraction of the anterior serrate, a muscle that
is essential for gaining height and which is synergistic with the work of pushing.
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 1 PRESENTATION
In terms of body posture, maltese is in every way similar to full planche or wide planche, so working it will have
a direct effect on this aspect of maltese, especially if you work full or wide planche in supination (bar/ground).
This will strengthen the front chain of the arm, which is necessary to perfect a good maltese.
For the protraction, it’s a consequence of the shoulders positioning, as said before you have to present them
forward, in the same trajectory that you will follow with your head. This has the consequence of creating a thoracic depression, and thus a scapular protraction on the opposite side, to this is added a slight external rotation
of the shoulder (presenting the biceps forward can be another way of looking at it, the deltoid and the biceps
being directly linked) which will finish linking your shoulder to your pectorals.
Height and width :
For a maltese like any other planche, the height must be maximum. It means that you have to push as
hard as possible to reduce your advance as much as possible. You must not crush yourself, nor advance more
than necessary. So, only the distance between your hands should condition the height of your planche/wide/
maltese.
Maltese according to its strict theoretical definition would consist in having the arms as far apart as
possible so that the body is positioned at the height of the hands. However this definition is too absolute and
is not appropriate for common use. There is therefore a common consensus that we speak of maltese and not
wide when the body height is almost at hands level.
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ДАВАЙ
АВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
HENICS
PART 1 PRESENTATION
In addition to the principles mentioned previously, a maltese can
be differentiated from a wide by
the muscular implication.
This notion is much more subtle
and almost unobservable, but is
much more precise : maltese is a
push recruiting mainly the anterior chain of the arm (biceps
chain), in fact we will always present the front of the shoulders in
front, while keeping the inside
biceps facing the ground.
This distinguishes it from the
wide planche because, the higher
the planche is, the more the inside
of the biceps face each other, the
more the contact at the back of the
hand is pronounced and therefore
the more the triceps is involved.
Indeed, the further back the support surface is located, the more
the weight carried behind this
point will be important.
The center of gravity will move
backwards, thus limiting forward
movement and gaining height.
Despite the fact that the anterior chain is mostly involved in
maltese, it is essential to keep this
support at the finger level.
This will allow to have a better
height, therefore a bigger gap, but
also a better balance management.
A loss of balance is usually caused by a lack of strength. The weight of the body slowly drops forward, causing
the center of gravity to move forward until it passes the point of support towards the thumb.
In this way, in press maltese (where one tries to gain height to reach the handstand), whatever its height, the
posterior chain and the triceps are thus very recruited. You should not neglect them, the work of the wide
planche will help you to prepare yourself for it.
As with the full planche, it’s the positioning that involves the muscles, you have to look for trajectories and
locks that will allow you to get out of this feeling of fall restraint.
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 1 PRESENTATION
Full
Wide
Big Wide
Dead Wide
Maltese
Airplane
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 1 PRINCIPLES
MINDSET
Similar to many elements of calisthenics, maltese is a very constraining element and difficult to maintain for
the human body.
However, this is not a reason to think that it is impossible! Convince yourself that this movement is easy if you
train it correctly. The most important thing is to have fun and believe in what you are doing.
If you are doing something you don’t like or you unconsciously believe it is impossible, it is not going to work.
Do the things you like and try to constantly keep your goal in mind, visualize it, until it becomes real.
TRAINING METHODS AND PRINCIPLES
BASIC SAFETY RULES :
Like any straight arms strength elements, it is complicated to maintain for the human body and potentially
dangerous if poorly performed or poorly trained. So make sure you have good muscle and joint conditioning
before taking it to the next level. To prevent injuries I advise you to always have a very good warm-up: start by
rotating your wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, pelvis. Then move on to muscular warm-up exercises (push-ups,
dips, biceps curl, chin ups, handstand push ups, etc). Finish your warm-ups with lean planche to make sure
that your joints are ready to use.
I also recommend that you take breaks from time to time, during which you can work on other elements. If
you have pain coming on or feel very tired, don’t be afraid to stop training for 1 or 2 weeks. This will help your
body recover and you may even make progress.
HOW TO TRAIN :
There are many ways to learn a movement : make regular attempts (GTG), do max repetitions/hold, do combinations, do isolated exercises, train with additional weight or on a machine, reduce the intensity with elastics,
reduce the intensity with easier variations, etc. All these methods and principles are more or less useful, safe or
difficult, and their effectiveness is not the same depending on each person, level, and exercise.
However, it is very important to do everything by varying the ways in which you train, and don’t neglect to
prioritize the exercises/methods you don’t like (they are often revealing and correlated to a weak point). Indeed, working in a varied way will allow you to use your muscles differently and thus create several nervous
pathways that are beneficial for strength and executing the movement correctly. It is important to understand
that each time your body experiences something unusual, it will force it to adapt and therefore to progress by
generating a gain in strength.
Following this logic, I therefore also recommend that you work with different grips and supports (neutral, pronation, supination, floor, rings, etc.).
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART
1 PRINCIPLES
PART
1 PRINCIPLES
TRAINING FREQUENCY :
Maltese is a very advanced figure because it solicits very specific muscles (anterior deltoid, biceps, pectorals).
Moreover, the gestures/technique associated with this movement being relatively complex, working too hard
and too often will greatly increase your fatigue and the risk of injury. The secret of progress for this movement
is therefore good intensity management. Indeed the work of the maltese must remain specific and is generally
complementary to the work of the planche. It is therefore strongly advised not to train it every day. You must
however remain as regular as possible to ensure your progression. For this you can for example implement a
small part dedicated to maltese during your other trainings, or devote 1 to 3 full trainings in a week. Arrange
your working rhythm according to your feelings. You will have to manage the intensity of your workout according to how you feel at the moment. Don’t hesitate to take 2 to 3 consecutive days off when you feel like you
need it, because a great part of your progress is in the right rhythm of work and rest. If after 5 days of rest, you
don’t really feel any better, maintain the rest period for a few days, and resume with a reduced intensity that will
allow you to keep a stable rhythm.
REST AND REPETITIONS :
To progress in maltese it is essential to strengthen oneself through specific isolated exercises. When you do
specific strengthening, favour short rests of 1 to 3 minutes and make sure to do about 10 repetitions / 10s under
tension at least for each set. This will improve your muscular resistance and make your muscles bigger. On the
other hand, when you are working to improve your technique and strength in maltese and when you have to
perform more difficult figures/exercises, don’t hesitate to decrease the intensity. For example, for sets of 5 repetitions/5s under tension, take 3 to 5 minutes of rest between each series. Keep in mind that this is flexible and
subjective. In fact, your sleep, your diet, your general energy, your previous trainings, your level, your desire,
etc, will vary according to your needs. So be careful to always listen to your body, while staying within the order
of measurement mentioned above (don’t rest too much to generate effort and progress, and don’t rest enough
to avoid counter-productive fatigue).
INJURIES :
Never solicit your body on a movement involving pain ! Pain is a message, listen to your body and don’t hurt it.
One can reasonably work on aching muscles, as this is an inevitable consequence of this particularly intense
sport. However, at the slightest other pain I would ask you to change your way of doing things if it is possible,
otherwise stop working on the movement in question.
If you are injured, see a healthcare professional.
The osteopath, able to diagnose and often solve the problem on his own, trained on muscular, osseous as well
as tendinous or nervous issues, he will be of great support to you throughout your sporting life.
The general practitioner can prescribe an appointment with the physiotherapist. However, physiotherapy will
not be able to help you in all respects, since practitioners are not authorized to make a diagnosis, and they can
only treat some of the problems you may encounter.
Finally, if no health care professional can diagnose or cure you, refer you to your attending physician who will
be able to prescribe medical imaging (X-rays/scans).
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KEY POINTS
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
KEY POINTS THAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
Creates the desire to be better and have fun. Convince yourself that your goals are easy. Visualize them as if they were already
real.
Be mindful of your health by warming up properly and listening to your body.
Work the full planche in supination. It is the fundamental base
of the maltese and will allow you a big transfer of strength.
Work your planche in wide and spread out more and more.
This is the best way to get the maltese because it will strengthen
you little by little until you can hold your maximum width.
Do some strengthening exercises specific to maltese. They
are essential for strength gains and injuries prevention. Incorporate them in your workouts or do them in parallel with the rest in
dedicated workouts.
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Vary the holds, supports and ways to train on a regular basis.
Rest for at least 5 minutes between each set when working
on strength/technique (1-5 rep). And at least 1 minute when doing
strength training (8-15 repetitions).
Avoid doing too many intense workouts in maltese. Maltese
workout should be light, regular and additional to the planche workout. Intense workouts should be less frequent.
Sometimes during your trainings, allow yourself to do
badform at a tolerable level. This will allow you to reduce the difficulty, and therefore to be able to put more intensity. Of course,
be careful to work on the right technique regularly, especially by
filming and working with a rubber band.
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART
PART22PROGRAM
PROGRAM
TRAINING PROGRAM
DIFFERENTS LEVELS :
This program is divided into 5 different steps. They will help you understand where you are in your evolution.
Be careful to do the workouts that correspond to your current level. If you don’t respect this, it will be useless
and dangerous.
Level 1 : 5s of straddle planche to 5s of wide straddle planche (You just got the straddle planche and you
are ready to start working wide planche)
Level 2 : 5s of full planche to 5s of wide full planche (You just got the full planche and you are ready to learn
maltese)
Level 3 : 5s wide full planche on parallel bars to 5s full maltese on parallel bars (You have good bases, you
start to hold your first malteses)
Level 4 : 5s full maltese on parallel bars to 5s wide full planche on the ground (You are able to hold a 5s
full maltese, you can start the malteses on the ground)
Level 5 : 10s of full maltese on parallel bars to more than 5s of full maltese on the ground (You have a solid
maltese, you want to make combinations in maltese on ground)
EXERCICES PRESENTATION AND ADAPTATIONS :
The following workouts are therefore examples of how to apply the methods described above. However, this
document is not a personalized coaching, so it is possible that you may not be able to do some exercises for
different reasons (you don’t have the equipment, you are injured, you don’t like it, or you just want to change).
It is also possible that you have additional equipment (dumbbells, weights, pulleys, etc.). If you wish, do not
hesitate to modify the workouts or even completely create your own using the resources provided in this
document. To do so, you can choose the exercises you need from the table below. The exercises are classified
from top to bottom, from the most to the least «effective», and you will find on the right the level(s) to which
they correspond.
Here is a list of all the exercises you can use in your workouts. This is not a list of all the possible exercises, it is
just the main and most effective ones. Remember that the first can be done with additional weight (hips, ankles,
bag, jacket, etc.) or with a rubber band. It is indeed useful to ballast yourself from time to time when a variation
of an exercise becomes too simple and you are not yet able to move on to the next variable (For example: you
have 9s of wide straddle planche but you are not yet able to do a wide full planche. Sometimes, you can add 2 to
4 kg at the hips when you do wide straddle planche). On the other hand, if you have difficulty doing an exercise,
for example because of fatigue at the end of the training, you can use a rubber band to assist you.
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PART 2 PROGRAM
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
MALTESE HOLD
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
levels 3 to 5
levels 4 to 5
MALTESE PRESS
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
WIDE PLANCHE NEGATIVE
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
levels 1 to 5
levels 2 to 5
WIDE PLANCHE HOLD
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
PLANCHE SUPINATION HOLD
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
levels 1 to 5
PLANCHE SUPINATION PRESS
levels 2 to 5
DIFFICULTY
WIDE PLANCHE PRESS
levels 2 to 5
levels 3 to 5
MALTESE NEGATIVE
DELTOIDS
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DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
PART 2 PROGRAM
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
MALTESE HOLD RUBBER BAND
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
levels 3 to 5
levels 1 to 5
PLANCHE SUPINATION NEGATIVE
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
LEAN MALTESE TO PLANCHE ON RINGS
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
levels 4 to 5
levels 4 to 5
LEAN MALTESE LIFTS
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
FOREARM MALTESE HOLD
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
levels 1 to 4
FOREARM MALTESE PRESS
levels 1 to 4
DIFFICULTY
LEAN MALTESE
levels 1 to 5
levels 3 to 5
LEAN MALTESE JUMP
DELTOIDS
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DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
PART 2 PROGRAM
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
FRONT RAISE
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
levels 1 to 5
levels 1 to 3
FOREARM MALTESE NEGATIVE
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
CURL BICEPS
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
levels 1 to 5
levels 1 to 3
WIDE HANDSTAND PUSHUPS
WIRST ROTATIONS
levels 1 to 3
DIFFICULTY
WIDE HANDSTAND HOLD
levels 1 to 3
levels 1 to 5
ZANETTI FLIES
DELTOIDS
DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
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DELTOIDS
DIFFICULTY
CHEST
DIFFICULTY
BICEPS
DIFFICULTY
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 2 PROGRAM
EXERCISES DESCRIPTION AND ADVICES :
Attempts: In general I recommend that you start your training with «attempts». This can be just a move or
a combo. Below are some ideas of what «attempts» can be, from which you can draw inspiration (from
the easiest to the hardest) :
• wide straddle planche on parallel bars hold 4s
• wide full planche press on parallel bars with rubber band
• negative straddle maltese to 2 negative wide straddle planche
• bad form full maltese press on parallel bars
• 3 wide straddle press on the floor
• full maltese hold 4s on parallel bars ballasted at the hips at 2 kg
• dragon full maltese hold 10s
• full maltese hold 2s to press on the ground
Wrist Rotations: Place the forearm slice on a support (bench, table, floor, etc.). Take a weight (short bar, dumbbell, kettlebell) so that it is on the thumb side. Rotate the hand from pronation to supination and vice versa. Do
as many repetitions as possible.
Biceps curls: Standing (kettlebells, dumbbells, pulleys or elastic) or lying down (pulleys or rubber bands), performs a flexion of the arms with the hands in a supine or neutral grip. Raise the hands until the elbow forms
an angle of less than 90°. Keep the elbow and shoulders fixed throughout the movement. Be careful not to arch
your back and do not use the momentum to raise your hands. Do as many repetitions as possible and stop
when you can no longer climb sufficiently (less than 90°).
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART
PART22PROGRAM
PROGRAM
Front raises : Standing or lying down (kettlebells, dumbbells, pulleys or rubber bands), performs an antepulsion (raising the arms forward) of the arms with the hands in supination grip. Raise the arms until they are
perpendicular to your body. Keep the arms straight throughout the movement. However, be sure to contract
the biceps voluntarily so that the load does not rest too much on the elbow joint. Also be careful not to arch
your back and to keep your arms parallel to each other. Do as many repetitions as possible and stop when you
can no longer climb sufficiently (less than 45°).
Zanetti flies : Standing (kettlebells, dumbbells, pulleys or rubber bands) or lying down (kettlebells, dumbbells,
pulleys or elastic) start the arms backwards with the hands in supination grip. Carries out an antepulsion (raising the arms forward) of the arms by moving them apart to reach a position similar to the maltese. Raise the
arms until they are level with your body. Keep the arms straight throughout the movement. However, be careful
to contract the biceps voluntarily so that the load does not rest too much on the elbow joint. Also be careful
not to arch your back. Do as many repetitions as possible and stop when you can no longer climb to the end.
Lean maltese : Spread your hands according to the width allowing
you to maltese. Move forward by opening your shoulders outwards
as much as possible. Lower them as much as possible as if to take off
the feet. Push with your shoulders as if you wanted to push down the
ground. This way, you must have the minimum weight on your feet.
Try to respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar
to those of the maltese (outstretched arms, horizontal and straight
body, scapular protraction, outstretched legs, retroversion of the pelvis). Hold as long as possible and stop
when the form deteriorates too much (banana form).
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 2 PROGRAM
Lean maltese jumps : Spread your hands according to the
width you can maltese. Move forward by opening your
shoulders to the outside as much as possible. Lower them
as much as possible as if to take off the feet. Push with
your shoulders as if you wanted to push down the floor.
This way, you must have the minimum weight on your
feet. To accentuate this and increase the pressure on your
shoulders, make small jumps with your toes, alternating
your feet. Slow down the fall of your feet as much as possible. Do this throughout the exercise. Try to respect as
much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those
of the maltese (outstretched arms, horizontal and straight
body, scapular protraction, outstretched legs, retroversion
of the pelvis). Hold as long as possible and stop when the
form deteriorates too much (banana form).
Lean maltese to planche on rings : Sets the rings as close to the ground as possible. Spread your hands according to the width that allows you to maltese. Move forward by opening your shoulders outwards as much as
possible. Lower them as much as possible as if to take off the feet. Push with your shoulders as if you wanted to
push the rings towards the ground. This way, you must have the minimum weight on your feet. Then, tighten
the rings by contracting your pectorals until you reach the lean full planche position. Throughout the movement, keep your hands at pelvic level, as if your feet were not on the ground. Try to respect as much as possible
the rules of cleanliness similar to those of the maltese (outstretched arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular protraction, outstretched legs, retroversion of the pelvis). Do as many repetitions as possible and stop when
the form deteriorates too much (banana form or insufficient advancement of the shoulders).
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ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART
PART22PROGRAM
PROGRAM
Lean maltese floor lifts : Spread your hands apart according to the width that allows you to maltese. Move
forward, open your shoulders and lie down on the ground. Push with your shoulders as if you wanted to push
the ground down to raise your body. Try to take off your whole body at the same time. The final position should
be the lean maltese. So you need to have the minimum weight on your feet as well. Try to respect as much as
possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those of the lean maltese (outstretched arms, horizontal and straight
body, scapular protraction, outstretched legs, retroversion of the pelvis). To vary the intensity of this exercise
you can change the inclination of your body. When you start, try to have your feet lower than your bust by
raising your hands on boxes for example. Conversely, when this exercise becomes easier for you, I advise you to
position your feet high (30 cm maximum) to increase the pressure on your shoulders. Do as many repetitions
as possible and stop when the form deteriorates too much (banana form or take-off too out of sync).
Wide handstand hold : Spread your hands at least 2 times the width
of your shoulders or your full planche width. This distance is minimal,
you can of course spread more. Make sure you can hold at least 5s. Try
to respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those of
the handstand (straight arms, vertical and straight body, retroversion of
the pelvis, legs stretched and aligned with the chest). Of course it will be
difficult at the beginning to do everything correctly. It is even normal that
to apprehend the figure more easily you may be slightly arched. Hold as
long as possible. If you are able to hold for more than 15s, spread your
arms even further apart or add weight to your pelvis or ankles.
Wide handstand push ups : Spread your hands at least
2 times the width of your shoulders or your full planche
width. This distance is minimal, you can of course spread
more. Make sure you can hold at least 5s. Try to respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar
to those of the handstand (straight arms, vertical and
straight body, retroversion of the pelvis, legs stretched
and aligned with the chest). Of course it will be difficult
at the beginning to do everything correctly. It is even
normal that to apprehend the figure more easily you may
be slightly arched. The specificity of this exercise is that in
order to make sure to involve the muscles useful for the
maltese you have to use an «open» grip : position your
hands on the ground so that your index fingers are on the same line and that no fingers are directed in front
except your thumbs. Bend your arms and lower them until they are parallel to the ground. Move up to the initial position with your arms straight out. Repeat as many times as possible. If you are able to do more than 10
repetitions, spread your arms further apart or add weight to your pelvis or ankles.
27
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 2 PROGRAM
Forearm maltese hold : Put your arms along boxes, chairs, parallel bars. Apart from the reduced distance
between the hands, the position is similar to that of the maltese. Try to respect as much as possible the rules of
cleanliness similar to those of the maltese (straight arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular protraction,
legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis). Hold as long as possible and stop when the form deteriorates too
much.
Forearm maltese press : start in forearm maltese position, push with your arms and the strength of your shoulders so that your body straightens vertically. Try to respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar
to those of the maltese (straight arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular protraction, legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis). Try not to arch your back too much and keep your legs tight and stretched throughout
the movement. Do as many repetitions as possible.
28
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART
PART22PROGRAM
PROGRAM
Forearm maltese negative : starts in forearm maltese position but with the body vertical. Slowly hold the fall
of your body with your arms and the strength of your shoulders until you are as horizontal as possible. Try to
respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those of the maltese (straight arms, horizontal
and straight body, scapular protraction, legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis). Try to keep the bust, pelvis
and legs aligned throughout the movement. Hold as long as possible and stop when the form deteriorates too
much (banana form).
Wide planche hold : Spread your hands at least 2 times the width of your shoulders or your full planche width.
This distance is minimal, you can of course spread more. Make sure you can hold at least 3s. Try to respect as
much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those of the maltese (straight arms, horizontal and straight
body, scapular protraction, legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis). Of course it will be difficult at the beginning to do everything correctly. It is even normal that to apprehend the figure more easily you can be slightly
pike. Hold it as long as possible and stop when the form deteriorates too much (banana form).
29
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 2 PROGRAM
Wide planche press : Spread your hands at least 2 times the width of your shoulders or the width of your full
planche. This distance is minimal, you can of course spread more. Try to respect as much as possible the rules
of cleanliness similar to those of the maltese (straight arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular protraction,
legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis). Of course it will be difficult at the beginning to do everything correctly. It is even normal that to apprehend the figure more easily you can be slightly pike. Push your body upwards
with the strength of your shoulders so that it straightens up vertically to the wide handstand position. Make
sure you don’t arch your back too much and keep your legs tight and stretched throughout the movement. Do
as many repetitions as possible.
Wide planche negative : Spread your hands at least 2 times the width of your shoulders or the width of your
full planche. This distance is minimal, you can of course spread more. Start in the wide handstand position.
Slowly hold the fall of your body with the strength of your shoulders until you arrive and lock in the wide full
planche position. Try to respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those of the maltese
(straight arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular protraction, legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis).
Of course it will be difficult at the beginning to do everything correctly. It is even normal that to apprehend
the figure more easily you can be slightly pike or slash. Nevertheless try to be as horizontal as possible when
holding. Try to keep your chest, pelvis and legs aligned throughout the movement. Hold as long as possible and
stop when the form deteriorates too much (banana form).
30
PART
PART22PROGRAM
PROGRAM
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
Maltese hold : Spread your hands according to the width
that allows you to maltese. Make sure you can hold at least
3s. Try to respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness
similar to those of the maltese (straight arms, horizontal
and straight body, scapular protraction, legs stretched,
retroversion of the pelvis). Of course it will be difficult at
the beginning to do everything correctly. It is even normal
that to apprehend the figure more easily you can be slightly
pike. Hold it as long as possible and stop when the form
deteriorates too much (banana form).
Maltese hold rubber band : Hooks one or more
rubber bands in height (hook, bar, etc). Pass it under your hips. Spread your hands according to the
width of your hands to allow you to maltese. Make
sure you can hold it for at least 3s. Try to respect as
much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to
those of the maltese (straight arms, horizontal and
straight body, scapular protraction, legs stretched,
retroversion of the pelvis). Of course it will be difficult at the beginning to do everything correctly. It
is even normal that to apprehend the figure more
easily you can be slightly pike. Hold it as long as
possible and stop when the form deteriorates too
much (banana form).
Maltese press : Spread your hands according to the width that allows you to maltese. Try to respect as much
as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those of maltese (straight arms, horizontal and straight body,
scapular protraction, legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis). Of course it will be difficult at the beginning
to do everything correctly. It is even normal that to apprehend the figure more easily you can be slightly pike.
Push your body upwards with the strength of your shoulders so that it straightens up vertically to the japanese handstand position. Make sure not to arch your back too much and keep your legs tight and stretched
throughout the movement. Do as many repetitions as possible.
31
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 2 PROGRAM
Maltese negative : Spread your hands according to the width allowing you to maltese. Start in japanese handstand position. Slowly hold the fall of your body with the strength of your shoulders until you arrive and block
in the maltese position. Try to respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those of the maltese
(straight arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular protraction, legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis).
Of course it will be difficult at the beginning to do everything correctly. It is even normal that to apprehend
the figure more easily you can be slightly pike or slash. Nevertheless try to be as horizontal as possible when
holding. Try to keep your chest, pelvis and legs aligned throughout the movement. Hold as long as possible and
stop when the form deteriorates too much (banana form).
Planche supination hold : Position your hands in grip supination (external rotation of the
hand and forearm ; thumbs pointing to the sides). You can do this
on a bar or on the ground. You
can also do it on your fists or fingers if you feel comfortable (but
always in supination). Make sure
you can hold for at least 3s. Try
to respect as much as possible
the rules of cleanliness of the full
planche (straight arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular
protraction, legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis). Of course
it will be difficult at the beginning to do everything correctly. It’s even normal that to apprehend the figure more easily you can be slightly
pike. Hold it as long as possible and stop when the form deteriorates too much (banana form).
32
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART
PART22PROGRAM
PROGRAM
Planche supination press : Position your hands in a supination grip (external rotation of the hand and forearm, thumbs pointing to the sides). You can do this on a bar or on the ground. You can also do it on your
fists or fingers if you feel comfortable (but always in supination). Try to respect as much as possible the rules of
cleanliness similar to those of the full planche (straight arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular protraction, legs stretched, retroversion of the pelvis). Of course it will be difficult at the beginning to do everything
correctly. It is even normal that to apprehend the figure more easily you can be slightly pike. Push your body
upwards with the strength of your shoulders so that it straightens up vertically to the handstand position in supination. Try not to arch your back too much and keep your legs tight and stretched throughout the movement.
Do as many repetitions as possible.
Planche supination negative : Position your hands in a supination grip (external rotation of the hand and forearm, thumbs pointing to the sides). You can do this on a bar or on the ground. Start in the supination handstand position. Slowly hold the fall of your body with the strength of your shoulders until you arrive and block
the supination planche position. Try to respect as much as possible the rules of cleanliness similar to those of
the full board (straight arms, horizontal and straight body, scapular protraction, legs stretched, retroversion
of the pelvis). Of course it will be difficult at the beginning to do everything correctly. It is even normal that to
apprehend the figure more easily you can be slightly pike or slash. Nevertheless try to be as horizontal as possible when holding. Try to keep your chest, pelvis and legs aligned throughout the movement. Hold as long as
possible and stop when the form deteriorates too much (banana form).
33
ДАВАЙ
PROGRAM
CALISTHENICS
LEVEL 1
For this level, during the attempts you can try all kinds of exercises:
wide planche press / wide planche negative / wide planche hold
I advise you to do these exercises in straddle. You can also use a rubber band to assist you.
forearm maltese press / forearm maltese hold / forearm maltese negative
I advise you to do these exercises in straddle, one leg, advanced tuck or tuck.
planche press / planche hold / planche negative
I advise you to do these exercises in straddle and to favour the supination grip (on bar or on the ground).
You can also use a rubber band to assist you.
You can also do lean maltese to finish or replace another exercise.
• MAIN TRAINING
• 2ND TRAINING
• 3RD TRAINING
You can go to the next level when you are able to do 5s of wide straddle planche.
34
ДАВАЙ
PROGRAM
CALISTHENICS
LEVEL 2
For this level, during the attempts you can try all kinds of exercises:
negative maltese / maltese hold
I advise you to do these exercises in straddle. You can also use a rubber band to assist you.
wide planche press / wide planche negative / wide planche hold
I advise you to do these exercises in full or straddle. You can also use a rubber band to assist you.
forearm maltese press / forearm maltese hold / forearm maltese negative
I advise you to do these exercises in full or straddle.
planche press / planche hold / planche negative
I advise you to do these exercises in full or straddle and to prefer the supination grip (on bar or on the
ground). You can also use a rubber band to assist you.
You can also do lean maltese or maltese hold assisted by a rubber band to finish or replace another exercise.
• MAIN TRAINING
• 2ND TRAINING
• 3RD TRAINING
You can go to the next level when you are able to do 5s of wide full planche.
35
ДАВАЙ
PROGRAM
CALISTHENICS
LEVEL 3
For this level, during the attempts you can try all kinds of exercises:
maltese press / maltese negative / maltese hold
I advise you to do these exercises in full or straddle. You can also use a rubber band to assist you.
wide planche press / wide planche negative / wide planche hold
I advise you to do these exercises in full or straddle. When you are able to do it, you should work on the ground.
You can also use a rubber band to assist you.
planche press / planche hold / planche negative
I advise you to do these exercises in full or straddle and to prefer the supination grip (on bar or on the ground).
You can also use a rubber band to assist you.
You can also do lean maltese, forearm maltese press, forearm maltese hold or maltese hold assisted by a rubber
band to finish or replace another exercise.
• MAIN TRAINING
• 2ND TRAINING
• 3RD TRAINING
You can go to the next level when you are able to do 5s of full maltese on parallel bars.
36
ДАВАЙ
PROGRAM
CALISTHENICS
LEVEL
LEVEL44
For this level, during the attempts you can try all kinds of exercises:
maltese press / maltese negative / maltese hold / wide planche press / wide planche negative / wide planche hold /
planche press / planche hold / planche negative
I advise you to do these exercises in full or straddle. When you are able to do it, you should work on the
ground. You should also use the supination grip on the ground or on a bar. You can also use a rubber band to
assist you.
You can also do lean maltese, lean maltese jumps, lean maltese floor lifts, lean maltese to planche on rings, or
maltese holds assisted by a rubber band to finish or replace another exercise.
• MAIN TRAINING
• 2ND TRAINING
• 3RD TRAINING
You can go to the next level when you are able to do 5s of wide full planche on the ground.
37
ДАВАЙ
PROGRAM
CALISTHENICS
LEVEL 5
For this level, during the attempts you can try all kinds of exercises:
maltese press / maltese negative / maltese hold / wide planche press / wide planche negative / wide planche hold /
planche press / planche hold / planche negative
I advise you to do these exercises in full or straddle. When you are able to do it, you should work on the
ground. You should also use the supination grip on the ground or on a bar. You can also use a rubber band to
assist you.
You can also do lean maltese, lean maltese jumps, lean maltese floor lifts, lean maltese to planche on rings, or
maltese holds assisted by a rubber band to finish or replace another exercise.
• MAIN TRAINING
• 2ND TRAINING
• 3RD TRAINING
38
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 3 VARIATIONS
MALTESE VARIATIONS
There are many variations of maltese (pronation maltese on bar, pronation maltese on fingers on the ground,
dragon maltese, etc). Before starting to train seriously for hard variations, make sure you have at least 10s of
maltese on clean parallel bars. Starting to work on it seriously before that will be a waste of time and you will
be more likely to get injured.
Pronated maltese on bar : Catch the bar in pronation grip (internal rotation of the hand and forearm; thumbs
pointing inward). You have to «break» the wrist so that it is above the bar (neither in front nor behind). I
recommend that you use only 4 to 3 fingers per hand to grip the bar (you can remove your pinkie and ring
finger). The greater the distance between your hands, the more twisted your hands will be. Not using them will
increase your range of motion and prevent injury. But even if you don’t use all your fingers, be careful to hold
the bar as tightly as you would if you were on parallel bars.
Supinated maltese on bar : Catch
the bar in a supination grip (external rotation of the hand and forearm,
thumbs pointing to the sides). Place
your hand on the same axis as on parallel bars. The contact with the lower
part of the palm of the hand is very
important. Also make sure that your
wrist and fingers are always in line
with your arm so that you don’t hurt
yourself and can apply maximum
force. The further apart your hands
are, the more your index and middle
fingers will follow the line of the bar.
Despite this, as with most bar holds,
remember to hold the bar very tightly. If you don’t squeeze hard enough, you may lose contact with the palms of your hands. Your grip will then
rotate forward, lengthening the lever arm and increasing the difficulty.
39
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 3 VARIATIONS
Maltese on floor : Place your hands so that your wrists
and fingers are pointing in the direction of your arm’s
axes. This will prevent injury and allow you to apply
maximum force. This way, the further apart your hands
are, the more your index and middle fingers will follow
the axis perpendicular to your body. Another very important point of this variation is the contact with the
ground. As explained above, the contact surface will
determine the length of the lever arm and thus vary the
height and width of your maltese. Here are the rules to
respect to make sure you have a maximum height and
width. Make sure to keep your hands as flat as possible
in order to maximize the support surface. A palm and especially finger lift indicates a lack of strength because
the body automatically shortens the distance from the lever in order to hold. If you encounter this problem,
don’t worry, it will automatically correct itself when you have more strength. However, you can do an exercise
that will help you understand this principle: makes a lean maltese but in a way that your hands are raised a few
centimeters thanks to boxes, handbalancing cubes, books, etc. When you put your hands down, make the lower
part of your palms protrude into the void so that only the top of your palms and fingers are put down. This variant
of lean maltese is quite difficult but very effective in improving strength and lengthening your levers.
Maltese on fingers on floor : Place your hands so that your
wrists are pointing in the same direction as your arms. This will
prevent injury and allow you to apply maximum force. This way,
the further apart your hands are, the more your index and middle
fingers will follow the axis perpendicular to your body. This
principle is found in almost all variations and is even more
important for this one. Indeed, the reduced contact surface and
the fact of using the fingers as a support makes the balance even more difficult. Off-center wrists could
therefore lead to a loss of stability or even injuries caused by wrong twisting of the thumbs. As with the
flat hand grip, here too, ground contact is very important. Therefore, the weight must be well distributed
over all fingers. In particular on the middle, ring and little fingers to ensure maximum height and distance.
A poor distribution of weight is usually caused by a lack of strength, similar to a flat grip. When most of the
weight is supported by the thumb, it is common to be unbalanced and to fall forward. As seen previously, this
is corrected by the gain in strength. On the other hand, if
you encounter problems related to the weakness of your
fingers, you can strengthen them by making press
planche in supination on the fingers, or by doing your
lean maltese on the fingers. As you can surely imagine,
the human body is not naturally made to fit on the tips
of its fingers. So take care to warm up each time by
doing opening-closing exercises for the hands and
stretching for the forearms.
40
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 3 VARIATIONS
Maltese vertical grip : As with almost all variants,
your wrists must remain in the axis of your arms. This
way you will avoid injuries and will allow you to apply
maximum force. For this variant, even more than for
the others, you have to tighten the bars very tightly to
keep your arms at the right height thanks to the strength of your forearms. If you wish, you can put your
thumbs along the bars to apply extra pressure. Some
people do not prefer to use them, but that depends only
on you and your initial flooring style. This variation is
largely a matter of habit. To learn it, I recommend that
you only work it by trying it out with a rubber band and leaning with this grip. This way you can also test your
preference between the thumb and thumbless grip.
Dragon maltese : As with almost all variants, your
wrists must remain in the axis of your arms. This
way you will avoid injuries and will allow you to
apply maximum force. In the same way, the bars
are the extension of your hands for this variant,
they must follow the axes of your arms. Usually
in maltese the arms form horizontally an angle of
about 90°. The parts laid on the ground are perpendicular to the main axes of the bars, so the bars
must be perpendicular to each other as well.
This variant is quite similar to the grip on vertical
bars. We can therefore find many similar principles:
you have to tighten the bars very hard in order to
keep the arms at the right height, thanks to the strength of the forearms. If you wish, you can put your thumbs
along the bars to apply extra pressure. Some people prefer not to use them, but that only depends on you
and your initial flooring style. However, the main feature of this variation
is that you have to keep your balance on the bars. The management of this
balance is done thanks to the precise positioning of the bars and the work of
the forearms. Besides the first principle of bar positioning explained above,
there is a second principle to be respected in order to balance: find the right
distance between the two bars. This varies according to the type of bars you
use (their weight, their size). To find this gap you have to test several times.
When you are in maltese, the goal is not to hold the bars in perfect balance,
but rather that they tend to fall slightly backwards. So you will have to force
with your forearms to prevent this backward fall. The greater the backward
imbalance, the more stable it will be, but it will also require a lot more strength in the forearms. Conversely, the more balanced the bars are, the more
they will tend to fall forward, carried by your body weight. It’s up to you to
find the perfect compromise to be stable enough without having to force yourself too much. For example, for
the most common reebok parallel bars the distance is about one forearm + one hand.This variant is largely a
matter of habit. To learn it, I recommend that you only work on it by trying it with a rubber band and leaning
with this grip. This way you can also test your preference between the thumb and thumbless grip.
41
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 3 VARIATIONS
Inverted grip maltese on parallel bars :
Unlike most other variations, it is difficult to
keep your wrists in the axis of the arms. So
to avoid injury from the slight twisting of the
wrist, it is imperative to warm up your wrists
very well and to soften them regularly. In order
to limit this torsion, you must grip the bar with
your fingertips. It is indeed impossible to put
the palms down and tighten the bar completely.
The top of your wrist must be positioned under the bar and the force you apply is directed
towards the ground. You can imagine trying to
make the top of your wrists touch the ground.
This variation too is largely a matter of habit. To
learn it, I recommend that you only work on it
by trying to bungee and lean with this grip. If you have small parallel bars, taking off from the ground with a
rubber band is also a very good way to understand the axis of thrust.
Maltese reverse hand on floor :
As with almost all variants, your wrists
must remain in the axis of your arms.
This way you will avoid injuries and will
allow you to apply maximum force. This
variation is quite painful, so to avoid injury it is imperative to warm up your wrists
and to soften them regularly. As for the
other variants on the ground, the contact
with the ground is very important. To
maximize the surface of contact I advise
you to stretch your fingers, your index
finger will allow you to manage the balance more easily. Contrary to what one
might think, the weight is not only on the
top of the wrist. It is in fact distributed on
the surface of the back of the hand between the index finger and the thumb. A poor distribution of weight is
usually caused by a lack of strength, similar to a flat grip. When most of the weight is supported by the top of
the wrist, it is common to be unbalanced and fall forward. As for the previous variants, this is corrected by the
gain in strength. To strengthen yourself, get used to this feeling and learn how to manage this specific
balance, it is useful to work the planche press on the back of your hand. You can also do your lean maltese on
the back of your hands.
42
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 3 VARIATIONS
Maltese on fists on floor :
As for almost all variants, your
wrists must remain in the axis
of your arms. This way, you will
avoid injuries and it will allow you
to apply maximum force. This variation is quite painful, so to avoid
injury it is imperative to warm up
your wrists and to soften them regularly. As for the other variants
on the ground, the contact with
the ground is very important. To
maximize the contact surface it is
important to «break» your wrists
well, so that the whole length of
your large phalanxes is laid down.
The balance will then be easier to
manage. Poor weight distribution is usually caused by a lack of strength, similar to a flat grip. When most of
the weight is taken by the top of the large phalanges, it is common to be unbalanced and to fall forward. As
seen in the previous variants, this is corrected by gaining strength and improving the flexibility of the wrists. To
strengthen yourself, get used to this feeling and learn how to manage this specific balance, it is useful to
work the press planche on the fists. You can also make your lean maltese on the fists.
Maltese on rings : Catch the rings in supination grip (external rotation of the
hand and forearm). Place your hand on
the ring along the same axis as on parallel
bars. The contact with the lower part of
the palm of the hand is very important.
So, even if you do this variant with your
hands open, you must be able to hold.
Tightening the rings with your fingers
only allows you not to lose this contact.
But if you have enough strength and your
positioning is correct this is not supposed
to happen. If it doesn’t, your grip will then
turn forward, lengthening the lever arm
and increasing the difficulty. Also, make
sure that your wrist and fingers are always in line with your arm so that you don’t get hurt and can apply maximum force.
43
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 3 VARIATIONS
2 fingers maltese on floor : As for almost
all variants, your wrists must remain in
the axis of your arms. This way, you will
avoid injuries and it will allow you to apply maximum force. This variant is quite
painful, so to avoid injury it is imperative
to warm up your fingers very well and
to strengthen them regularly. In order
to apply a good pressure and to have the
necessary stability, you will have to bend
your wrist backwards a little, according to
the same principle as the dragon maltese.
To do this, when you put your fingers on
the ground, reduce the gap of about ten
centimeters on each side compared to your classic maltese width on the ground. Once you move forward and
bend your wrists you will find yourself with a good gap. To strengthen yourself, to get used to this feeling
and to learn how to manage this specific balance, it is essential to work the planche on 2 fingers. Lean
maltese on 2 fingers and maltese on 2 fingers with elastic band are also indispensable before starting any
kind of dry runs.
Maltese press : The maltese press is a mixture of strength and synchronicity. We will try to dive down head
first, while we will accompany this trajectory with the pressure of the shoulders, drawing a quarter circle with
the toe that will end up blocking its extension in the vertical line of the handstand. These three actions must be
perfectly synchronized so that it doesn’t cause unnecessary deformation and loss of strength. Pressing can also
be done solely by means of shoulder pressure (press piston) although it is not logical not to follow a natural trajectory that can make the movement simpler and cleaner, each movement and variant has implicit trajectories
(which helps to preserve endurance and provide more work volume).
44
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 3 VARIATIONS
COMMON PROBLEMS
HYPERLAXITY :
You may have hyperlaxed elbows. This is a phenomenon due to normal
genetics that leads to hyper-extension of the arms. It is however a little
more problematic when you want to make maltese. Indeed, although
it is possible to make maltese with hyperlaxis, it is not very advisable
and poses several constraints. The first one being the least important
is that it is impossible to make maltese on the ground with a flat hand
grip. Indeed the forearms will be in contact with the ground as soon as
the distance is important. Beyond that, the main problem, much more
serious, is the loss of strength and the great risk of injuries. Indeed,
hyperlaxity generally causes that most of the load is supported by the
elbow joint and not by the muscles such as the biceps or forearms. First
of all, this is dangerous because a joint is not made to support heavy loads. And secondly, it deprives the
biceps and forearms, which are essential muscles for this figure, of an optimal use of their strength.
However it is possible to correct this and reduce its hyperlaxity. This is done by strengthening the flexor muscles of the arm (biceps, forearms). I therefore recommend that you do exercises such as biceps curl, frontal
elevations in supination, zanetti flies, or lean maltese quite regularly. During the forehead lifts, zanetti flies and
lean maltese, bend your arms very slightly so that they look «tense». This will help you to voluntarily contract
your biceps and strengthen them little by little. The goal is not to make hypertrophy, but to strengthen the muscles and their insertions. Therefore prefer a rather important load but allowing you to do about ten slow and
controlled repetitions. You should never fail or have great pain during these exercises. Increase the load when
the previous one is totally under control.
ASYMMETRICAL SHOULDERS :
You may have noticed that you had one shoulder lower than the other
when you make a maltese or wide plank. This is a problem that happens
from time to time. This is usually due to one shoulder being weaker
than the other. To overcome this problem I advise you to stop working
completely empty. Continuing could accentuate this imbalance and
create a bad habit. Therefore, prefer the much simpler variants (using
elastics for example) for which you are comfortable enough to control
your body, and thus work in the right position. Film yourself at each
of your series or look at yourself in a mirror to correct yourself. When
you feel more and more comfortable with a good positioning, increase
the difficulty little by little. I also advise you to do strengthening exercises where the load is individual for each arm. For instance, the zanetti
flies and frontal lifts with dumbbells or kettlebell. This will allow you
to strengthen yourself symmetrically. Even if the difference of strength
between the two arms is huge, try to have equal loads on each arm as much as possible. It doesn’t matter if the
load is too light for your strong side. The logic of this work is to move the weak side forward by making sure
that the other side doesn’t get too far ahead. This way the difference in strength will decrease little by little.
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PART 3 VARIATIONS
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
THE “DEAD WIDE” :
It is frequent that when one starts the maltese, one can have
a «sagging» shape often with retracted shoulder blades. This
is caused by a lack of strength in the deltoids and the anterior
serration. Despite its «low» appearance, this is not a maltese.
Maltese like any board must indeed be a maximum thrust and
not a restraint. To overcome this problem I advise you to reduce
a lot the work on the gaps and low amplitudes (wide, maltese,
deadplanche, forearm maltese), in order to give priority to the
work of height gain and thrust (full planche press, planche supination). Thus, exercises such as planche press, planche hold,
frontal elevations, etc., preferably performed in supination,
will allow you to improve your full planche and push strength.
It is important to have a solid full board of at least 15s before
focusing entirely on the maltese.
WRITS PAINS :
Wrist pains are quite common during the maltese work. Their
causes can be multiple (broken grip on parallel bars, poorly
executed pronation grip, too much work on parallel bars, too
much work in supination, etc). Whatever the pain is, avoid forcing on it. First, try to find a way to work (grip, support) that
does not hurt you. On the other hand, if the pain is present
regardless of the grip, take 3 to 4 days of total rest for the wrists.
Be very vigilant when you start training: a good warm-up is
essential. Finally, if this still doesn’t help you treat your problem, consult a health care professional. If you have to stop
using your wrist, in order not to lose too much strength
and keep training, consider doing these exercises :
- forearm maltese (hold, press, negative)
- frontal elevations (load hooked on the forearm)
- zanetti flies (load hooked on the forearm)
ДАВАЙ
CALISTHENICS
PART 3 VARIATIONS
Now that you have all the necessary resources and
knowledge, reaching your goals depends more than on you:
your desire, your involvement, your work. Hopefully, all of
this can be beneficial to your progress and your health.
All sports practice includes risks, DavaiCalisthenics, as well as its entire team, cannot be held responsible, and hereby disclaims all liability in the
event of injury. Legal Notice This content is the property of the brand ДАВАЙ© (n° 18 4 455 registered class of products or services 24, 25, 38) Any
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